Blue Ribbons
by Nyina
Summary: Camelot has always been Iso's home. And in such a town, it's common to know everything that's going on. Until a new face appears. And as soon as this stranger comes, so does the trouble. Following the series through a different focus, a peasant named Isolde, a childhood friend of Gwen's and one-sided admirer of Merlin. Canon ships only. T for insinuative actions.


It seemed weird that there was a new face in Camelot. New faces were something that had become a bit foreign, especially in such difficult times. A young man with dark hair and blue eyes had come about, looking too cheerful and dapper to be real. It truly had been a strange sight… and much stranger that he hadn't even bothered to stop by the markets. Could it be that he wasn't a simple traveler? Would he be coming to stay in the kingdom?

"Please bring me the vise," a voice bellowed from inside the blacksmith's shop. The cloaked youth outside quickly ran in, grabbing hold of the small apparatus on their way in.

The sweltering heat of the cottage had been the reason Iso had been outside in the first place, but now… "Here it is. I am sorry, but I think I chipped a bit off it when I ran in. It banged on the door frame," her voice resonated. The clinking of steel on iron continued as soon as the blacksmith took hold of the tool, utilising it to keep the steel in place.

"I trust you are not lolling about? I've had an earful from your mother about how I'm much too lenient on you on market days," he responded with a friendly smile.

No mention about the chipped tool? Maybe this would work out for the best. Iso watched as the blacksmith continued to work on, hammering and moulding the iron horseshoes to the shape they needed to be. How fascinating, metal work truly was—taking something so fluid and raw, something that the earth had carefully crafted, and making it one's own.

"No, actually. I'm waiting for Gwen, but she seems to be stuck back in the castle. I really wish we could just continue on like old times, when we merely played and pretended being in there, but now… It's her reality and I never get to see her. How do you manage to go on all day without her?" Iso asked, leaning her elbows on the walls.

The blacksmith's smile widened and he looked up from his work for once, "I know she's safe inside those walls, as we are here. What better knowledge is there than that?"

Iso sighed, "Knowing that she'd be here earlier would probably be better. I don't know how well they treat anyone in the castle."

"Anyone in Camelot is treated with kindness, Isolde," he responded calmly, his eyes returning to the iron in his hands.

"I suppose."

The conversation ended there, only to be interrupted by the noises of hammering and the sounds of people walking along the cobblestones outside. A horse's whinny could be made out in the distance, and a shout from the markets about blue fabric reminded her of the boy she'd seen earlier. Those extremely blue eyes that just seemed to scream happiness and joy.

He'd obviously never encountered someone's execution.

Speaking of execution… The bells resounded from afar and Iso looked over at the blacksmith, "Oh please, Tom, may I go? It's the one glimpse I have at the king."

"Oh you're so sure it's just a glimpse at the king you want? I've heard Gwen and you ramble more about Prince Arthur," he commented with a sly smirk.

Iso frowned, "Actually, it's almost always just me rambling. Something is completely wrong with Gwen. Did you know she doesn't find him attractive? How many fumes from the fireplace has she been inhaling?"

Tom chuckled and waved his hand, signaling his permission for her to witness the execution if she so wished. Iso, overjoyed at being given permission to laze the afternoon away, ran out of the cottage, away from the sweltering heat, and over to the courtyard.

Damn all those that practiced magic. How cruel and unfair to hold such power over simple people like her.

There was already a crowd by the time she arrived, and the man stood atop the platform. Iso looked above and stared in admiration of the grand power King Uther commandeered simply by standing. Such regality and poise, such power in his words… And then the man's life was ended and a foul scream was heard throughout the courtyard. Iso turned, recoiling from the sound, and watched as a woman dared condemn the king for his actions, for killing her son. Those words stung a bit and caused her to reconsider, only slightly, whether what was being done was correct, but in a few instants, she was proved wrong, and the frightening women vanished. Magic… Any practitioner of magic deserved to die… The king continued on, announcing more… But Iso's eyes were caught by the blue-eyed face who stared on in a shocked silence.

As soon as the crowd drifted away, she couldn't help but allow her eyes to follow the other. Where was he headed? He just seemed to feel at home, walking about the castle like it belonged to him… Iso remained curious as to exactly who he was, and she followed him.

Or rather, she was about to, until she heard a voice call out her name.

"Iso, where are you going?"

Turning around, she found herself facing none other than Guinevere, as her eternally beautiful self. Iso smiled shyly, "I was looking for you. You missed the show, you know?"

Gwen took a deep breath, "If you want to call _that_ a show, you need better entertainment." And with a slight pause so she could gather her breath, she continued, "Are we going to the market after all?"

"Of course! It's just… I saw someone new, and he just… entranced me. Is that weird Gwen?"

"Iso, you say that about every boy you see. Now let's go before all the good fruits are bought."

At the market, the two girls continued speaking about the day, how they'd been, what they had planned, how their families were, and more importantly, about Lady Helen's performance for the king.

"I hear she sings amazingly well, much better than my own mediocre voice. Oh Gwen, is there any way you would be able to sneak me in as well? You're so lucky, how you get to see all the performances for the king. And you get to see the royal family every day! I wish I was in your shoes," Iso commented, taking hold of a large potato.

Gwen laughed, "I'm sure you could come along if you are okay with helping serve food without dragging your feet every time you're called." Iso rolled her eyes in response. "And it's not as magnificent as you'd think. I mean sure, Morgana is and has always been very kind to me, but you witness so many people suffering at Uther's hands," she commented even quieter.

Iso raised an eyebrow, "Suffer? You mean those horrible sorcerers? They deserve it. It might have been fine and well in more barbaric times, but we are a much more modern world, and there is no place for creatures such as them."

And as such, their day continued, some more socialising between them, and a bit more disagreements. All in all, the day wasn't a total waste, since they both managed to obtain some decently priced groceries. Gwen had even bought her a really pretty and decorative ribbon to tie around her hair! It had been a marvelous present. But only one thing bothered the younger girl. The ribbon was blue.

Upon returning home that night, Iso hung up her cloak and smiled at the three children at the table. "I brought groceries, mother. Some are gifts from Gwen and Tom, though, so you might want to thank them next time you see them," she said, setting down the roughly woven basket on the kitchen table.

"I'd thank them if I had time to even see them. Isolde, you've got to understand I've got my hands busy with mending and sewing. Ever since your father left with the others, I've had to take care of the animals myself, and your sisters aren't exactly the sharpest when it comes to the animals," a woman's voice called out from near the oven.

The three young girls had begun rummaging through Iso's basket, with the youngest finally managing to grasp what they would have all killed for: "Iso got a ribbon, mum!"

Quickly, Iso grabbed the small thing from her sister and shoved it into her chemise, but not before her mother had caught glimpse of, not only the ribbon, but her actions.

"What kind of example do you think you're setting here, Isolde? Selfishness will never get us through anything. Now where did you get the money for a ribbon?" she asked, cleaning her hands on her apron.

Iso rolled her eyes and yanked it out, "Gwen got it for me. I really liked the colour is all and since it was a gift, I didn't want their hands all over it. I want to wear it tomorrow, see?" She grabbed her brown hair and pulled it into a faux ponytail and wrapped the ribbon around it, "It keeps my hair out of the way, and allows focus to be drawn onto my br—eyes!"

Her mother's face changed to unimpressed and she rolled her eyes, "If only. Isolde, get your sisters ready to sleep. I'll not have them running about at the unholy hours of the night."

And so, the night continued on, with Iso running some chores for her mother, helping her sisters into the bed, and she rested her elbow on the table, leaning her head into her hands.

"Mother, have you ever seen someone's face and then just… I could picture this boy and me. It was… odd. It felt so… right," Iso mumbled into her palms.

Her mother seated herself opposite her and reached out with her hand, "Isolde, don't tell me all this _again_. You said that about the merchant's son, the baker's son, the—every single boy in this kingdom has been your victim of infatuation for at least a week. And then the next week, you've completely and utterly forgotten them."

"But mother, this was different. It was unlike anything I've ever felt—I mean, I can't even think back to seeing him for the first time without getting a bit giddy," Iso responded, playing with the ribbon in her hands.

"What's his name?"

"What?"

"What is his name?"

The awkward silence that followed the question only proved what her mother had initially suspected. "You don't even know the boy's name, how can you expect to ever truly picture yourself with him. Or, as a matter of fact, with anyone? Child, with your face and lack of charm, you'll be lucky to marry a horse."

And with that said, her mother put out the candles and walked off to bed, leaving Iso to contemplate her mother's words, and cry into her ribbon.

The next morning, Iso awoke before the first light of day, which was actually a quite common time for people to wake in Camelot. Her mother and one sister were already up and about, milking the cows. Iso wanted no part in that type of menial labour.

"Mother, I'm going to Ulric's," she called, changing into her work clothes.

"Isolde, you've long outgrown this nonsensical behaviour. What kind of example do you think you're setting for your sisters? You've got to remember, as the eldest, they look up to you to expect what is right and wrong. And seeing you all…" she sighed, stepping through the doorway and stared at her daughter.

Her undergarments had been bound around the chest area with a large collection of cloths. A pair of work boots that were much too large for her surrounded her feet. And she was wearing trousers just like any other male peasant in the kingdom.

"Do what you like then. My words don't matter to you anyway," she said before turning back to the outside.

Iso sighed and threw on the vest, tying it in the front. There were no meaningful jobs for her to perform as a woman in Camelot. Throughout her childhood, she'd seen young boys get apprenticed to journeymen and had decided to become one herself—not a journeyman, but a little boy.

It was at the age of nine that she had become apprenticed to Ulric, the artillator, and she had begun to learn the art of bow-making, of crafting arrows, and simply enjoyed her double life. Even if she had been much later in finding a teacher than was the norm.

Before she left, Iso pulled her hair into a loosely held ponytail, took a smidge of dirt and rubbed it along her face, adding more dirt to her jawline to give it that whole "masculine" look. Typical morning routine…

Iso walked out of her home, catching glimpses of people that she had once feared would recognise her. It had been eight years, and if anyone had noticed, they had obviously not cared. She strolled through the streets, acting leisurely and allowing her mind to drift off into space… well , she had done pretty well in drifting off, until she saw the boy with the blue eyes in the stocks.

There were so many people around him, throwing tomatoes and lettuce at him. Iso had to suppress a giggle as she walked past him to Ulric's shop. She had to wonder what he'd done that had quickly ended him up in the stocks. As she walked closer and closer to the castle, she managed to see Gwen strolling down, and her instincts to go up to her and greet her almost gave away her ruse. She'd managed eight years and she most certainly would not risk being found out just to say a quick hello to her friend.

However, as she stared after Gwen, she noticed her come to a stop at the stocks. And talk. To _him_! Iso felt her heart drop as she saw the two exchange smiles and handshakes… Iso stayed for a while as she watched the two speak from afar, only to be cut off as more civilians returned with more fruit. She spoke to him! Oh the jealousy!

Iso practically stormed into Ulric's in anger. Ulric quickly turned to see his apprentice and raised an eyebrow, "Your girl giving you a hard time, Isaac?"

Iso rolled her eyes. "You don't even know. I saw her flirting with the boy in the stocks," she said, grabbing hold of a blade, "I'll never compare."

Strange… She hadn't even bothered to censor her thoughts and they could still be understood as a jealous girl's partner. Good, good.

Ulric pulled over a stool, "If you say so. Just remember that even Olaf has a wife, so you're in a much better position than that fool. After all, you should technically be a journeyman as well." A comforting pat on the shoulder shook Iso from her thoughts and she looked into Ulric's eyes, "Yes, but exactly where would I open a trade shop? The only reason I was able to afford my apprenticeship was because of my aunt's charitable donation."

"Yes, but over the extra year you've been with me, you've amounted enough money to be able to afford the basic tools. You could always operate in here with me, after all. It'd be nice to have a familiar face in every day," he commented.

How long would this ruse continue? She figured she'd stop at seven years, but… breaking a routine as just so difficult… She couldn't come to work with Ulric. He'd eventually figure out something odd was happening to his worker, and besides… She couldn't bear to think of eternally keeping up the act that she was a man. How would that work in a couple years when someone "his" age was supposed to find a wife? And have kids?

"Listen, Ulric, I've been thinking… Your bows are so expertly crafted in comparison to those I've seen travelers carry. Wouldn't it be best if someone go into other territories to help spread the knowledge of your bows?" she asked, dropping her voice to the lowest octave she could possibly go.

He sighed, "Long ago I dreamed of being the most well-known bowyer and fletcher, but my loyalty remains to my king. I admit I've heard great things about my crafts, and I have long dreamed of traveling, myself, to extend the knowledge of how to weave the strands of wood in opposite directions, of making sure it bends ever so slightly… Should a strong weapon ever fall into the hands of the enemies, Camelot would suffer. And it would be my fault, you see?"

Iso nodded in silent agreement. But now, knowing that she'd brought up the conversation, were she to never show up again, he could easily assume that she had gone, as she'd said, to spread the knowledge about the bows. But since she had no fighting experience, he'd be able to assume her dead within days.

Hour after hour dragged on in the journeyman's shop, and with Iso only managing to finish twelve arrows, it was obvious she would not be able to get work done. The boy with the blue eyes and her friend had been laughing together. Then again, it wasn't hard to believe… Almost everyone that encountered Gwen instantly fell in love with her, just like she had. But one had to be realistic. Two women would never get by alone in Camelot, even if one was a servant in the castle household. Even if one was the handmaiden to the Lady Morgana! Iso watched the sun as it began to crawl all the way up the castle walls and stood as Ulric offered her a cabbage stew.

Her bottom was sore from sitting on the stool since morn, but she had grown accustomed to that feeling.

"Ulric, do you know anything about the boy in the stocks?" she asked, scarfing down her meal. Damn manners; she was a boy at the moment!

He scratched his chin thoughtfully and slurped down a spoonful of stew, "I can't say I do. Haven't been out and about much lately. And the fact that you're asking makes me think he's not someone from around Camelot."

Iso shook her head, "Barely saw him on the day of the execution. He caught my eye 'cause he's so stringy."

"You're not exactly Prince Arthur either, Isaac," Ulric teased.

"I get that, but this kid looked like a beanpole. Anyway, random beanpole at the execution, just walking around like he owns the damn place, and then I lose sight of him, only to find him in the stocks, chatting up with Gw—my friend," Iso mended. She couldn't have imagined the trouble that would've occurred had she mentioned Gwen's name. What if Ulric had begun to nose around? And when he found out Gwen knew no Isaac…

He took his bowl and her own as soon as they were both done and they continued on, crafting more arrows than bows, as was the demand. After the sun went down, he dismissed her for the day. Iso nodded her thanks and walked out the door. It was dark in the courtyard and, as usual, there was a lousy amount of guards. She walked down the corridors until she saw a shape creeping about in the dark. It was the exact same boy! Iso pressed herself against the columns and her mind began to race. Why was he out so late, and where could he be headed? Could it be he was conspiring against the king?

Either way, if he was, she'd soon find out, and she'd be able to testify that it had been him. However, whether or not she actually would was an entirely different story. Why she would ever testify against the boy she'd become recently fascinated with was stupid in general. As soon as she saw that the boy was gone, Iso ran home, not wanting to be thought of as a conspirator should anything come down to it. She didn't want her first meeting with the boy to be in a dungeon.

The morning routine began as usual, only this time, Iso stayed in her home and helped with the animals. The cows seemed rather frightened of her, since she'd never directly interacted with them, but the sheep didn't seem to mind the newer company. Her mother did not comment until the rest of their neighbours had begun to rustle and make a ruckus.

"Aren't you going to Ulric's? He'll be missing you," her mother said in a somewhat sarcastic tone.

Iso remained silent and continued on sheering the nearest sheep. She'd already made up her mind as to what would happen. However, a knock on the door sprung Iso into action. Had she been seen the night before? Had her eight-year folly finally been discovered? As she opened the door, Guinevere's smiling face welcomed her and the two girls shared a hug.

"Well, quite an abrupt good morning, Gwen. What's all this about?" Iso asked, inviting her inside.

Gwen shook her head politely, "I've got to rush to the castle in a bit. I remember you said you'd wanted to come see Lady Helen, so I asked for a favour and you're welcome to come serve the wine."

Iso bounced up excitedly, "That's marvellous news Gwen! Thank you so much!" And another hug…

There was no time for a conversation, as Gwen had to go attend her duties in the castle, but Iso's smile was just not erased for the longest time. She did all the menial tasks around the house, with no further questions from her mother about her apprenticeship, and finally, when the sun was at its highest point, Iso decided it was time for a bonfire.

The smell of burning wood and fabric was wonderful to her sense of smell. Her mother had asked where she was headed as soon as she'd seen her carry the bundle of fabric out of the door, but she'd received no answer. As of today, Isaac was dead and only Isolde remained. Putting out the fire, Iso grabbed some of the burned garments and set them on some visible branches. Were anyone to come around, they would see the bits of clothing and think of the poor chap's death.

The blue ribbon tied up neatly in her hair, accompanying her prettiest and least-worn dress, Iso walked up to the castle, half-hoping that the blue-eyed boy would be around. But alas, he was not. She did, however, find the servants' entrance and managed to walk in through there.

With no sign of Gwen, Iso began looking at all the pitchers, discerning which was wine and which was ale. A few more servants bustled about, with gossip lingering on all of their tongues.

"Oh yes the peasant boy. I hear he is living with Gaius now. Let's hope that he's able to straighten him out."

"But Gaius is such a kind old soul. A boy like that could ruin anyone's life."

"Where did he even come from, is my question."

Iso peered over to the three servant women. This was no common idle prattle. And as long as it wasn't commoner's gossip, it was perfectly fine to intrude. Especially since she hoped she knew who they were talking about.

"Pardon, but who might ruin Gaius?" she asked.

"Why that boy that challenged Prince Arthur yesterday in the market," one replied.

"Oh but it wasn't just in the market, I hear. Apparently, he insulted him directly in the training yard," said another.

"What nonsense you both speak. The boy with Gaius is obviously a spy sent in to kill Arthur," the last spoke.

"And now you speak nonsense, Bronwen. How could a spy sent to kill a prince be so scrawny?"

"Scrawny, you say?" Iso asked.

"Oh sure," Bronwen responded, "The boy ended up in the stocks his first day in Camelot, he did."

"Now why would a spy work so hard to be thrown in the stocks on his first day? That would just cause suspicion on him, now wouldn't it?"

"Well, perhaps it's a way to throw the king off. Since he looks so tiny, once he causes trouble, people will focus more on him while someone else goes in to kill the king."

"And why would he kill the king?"

Iso wandered away from the three women as soon as they began to talk about Uther. Despite her previous explanations on how she admired the king, Iso had begun to wonder more about treason and conspirators than about her loyalty. Especially since everyone around the castle seemed to think that the blue-eyed boy was a spy of some sort.

The preparations for dinner went by rather slowly, and only a moment was spared. Iso quickly seated herself on a pile of bags of grain and yawned. She wasn't used to walking about for such a long time. Her rest was quickly cut short as Gwen approached and looked at her with that faux condescending look.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't drag your feet?" she said, extending her hand.

Iso took her hand and once she was on her feet, she responded with a wagging finger in the air, "I never agreed to anything. You just showed up and assumed I did."

Gwen shook her head gently and pulled on her arm, "Come on. We better get there soon or she'll start singing without you."

And so, the two girls ran into the great hall where the banquet was being held. Gwen had to go around to attend to the ladies nearer to the king. Iso remained on the opposite end, serving wine to all the little goblets around the—there was the boy. The boy with the blue eyes! Right next to Gaius!

"Hey, you common maid!"

Iso looked down and saw that she'd managed to overfill the goblet. A quick apology and she walked around, double-checking everyone's goblet was full. She set the pitcher down and walked over to the wall, where her eyes caught on the scandalous outfit the Lady Morgana was wearing. So much for trying to look pretty… With Morgana's beauty and dress, she was completely blown out of the water. She sighed and looked over at the opposite end of the room and her eyes caught onto those of the blue-eyed boy.

Immediately, Uther entered and announced Lady Helen. Iso felt her cheeks turn bright red as the blue-eyed boy smiled at her. His eyes seemed to twinkle like stars, and his smile was just enchanting. She almost didn't notice when Lady Helen, the only reason she'd initially come to the castle at all, came into the room. But as soon as the melodic voice filled the chamber, Iso began to drift into a sleep so deep. And even though she tried to shake it off, she just could not. Her last glimpse was of the blue-eyed boy covering his ears.

It seemed like mere seconds had passed since she'd nodded off, but the entire scene in front of her was different. Everyone was covered in cobwebs (which she quickly reached to rid herself of) and there was some random old woman on the floor. Only… it wasn't a random old woman. It was the mother of the boy that had been executed!

All too quickly, the woman on the floor threw a knife at the prince, but before Iso was able to gasp, the blue-eyed boy had thrown himself into the prince, pushing him out of the way.

The silence that followed was deafening and Iso could feel the shock and inner fear she had no doubt that the blue-eyed boy felt. The king and prince stared at him, horrified, although she didn't know if they were more mortified at the attempt on the prince's life or at the actions of the boy.

"You saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid," the king spoke.

Iso watched as the boy turned sheepish, trying to deny any sort of special recognition. Until the king mentioned something "special." But what the king spoke next almost made Iso laugh out loud. The boy was going to Prince Arthur's manservant? The prince didn't even seem too pleased about that, judging by his reaction.

As the evening wound down, Iso helped stay back to clean along with various of the other servants. She soon saw Gwen and gave her a weak smile, "What a night it was today."

"Oh yes. I hear they found Bronwen dead, too. Poor girl," she commented.

The two went on in silence, cleaning up and finally being dismissed to go home. The girls walked in mostly silence, only occasionally speaking up to voice how cold the night was, or how frightening. When they reached Gwen's home, though, Iso broke the silence.

"Hey Gwen, do you know the boy who saved Prince Arthur's life?" she asked before Gwen managed to open the door.

"I met him yesterday. His name's Merlin, and he is so sweet. I'm sure you two would get along."

Iso gave her another weak smile, "What do you think of him, though, Gwen?"

"He's certainly different. But it's always best to be different, don't you think?"

She nodded half-heartedly and bade Gwen a good night as she walked back home.

So his name was Merlin. It fit him. But she had to wonder where the name was from anyway. It sounded much to foreign to her to even be from any of the fiefs nearby. As soon as she walked into her own home, her mother greeted her with a curious look on her face.

"Is there a reason you've been given a job at the castle, Isolde? One of the workers came around asking for you, and that you should be at the castle tomorrow as the sun rises."

Iso looked at her, and threw herself into her arms, and cried.

* * *

_Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of my first/new FanFiction. It's been a bumpy journey just getting this first part churned out, so I'd like to thank you for handling my errors and nonsensical-ness. Anyway, this is an idea I had while re-watching the series. There's so many minor characters that one could seriously have the liberty of plucking them out and simply going throughout the entire series as their life. So each chapter will be an episode, told from Isolde's point of view. It's a bit strange, but I'm willing to give it a shot._

In regards to updating, I'm not sure how often this'll be, but more likely than not, it'll be two chapters per month, since my schedule isn't too clear. And again, thank you for reading. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and I will take note of your commentary. Reviews are extremely welcome, if only to simply tell me something sucked or seemed unrealistic, or you know... compliments too :3


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